It has been stated many times that Charlie Munger, developer of Green Hollow Square, wants to “leave a legacy.â€
But by remaining so adamantly opposed to a preservation option that includes incorporating the Barry Building into some bigger, neater, design, his legacy might be one of stubbornness.
It seems like fixing up and keeping the Barry Building is a small price to pay, if by doing that he gets to build Green Hollow Square. But so far, no go.
But the building isn’t the only issue here. The potential for added traffic in the area is everyone’s biggest concern. So even if Charlie awakened tomorrow and said “OK, let’s save the Barry Building,†it’s easy to imagine opponents wanting to continue the fight.
If this is really about legacy, Charlie should build a park on the property and convert the Barry Building into a community center. A public swimming pool would be nice. “The Charles Munger Community Center†has a nicer ring to it than “Green Hollow Square.â€
But Charlie wants a retail center. It’s his property, and he’s the one in a financial position to do something here. Doing something seems better than doing nothing. So if it’s retail he wants, let’s come up with a retail scheme that works for everyone.
Here are some ideas to try and get things “unstuck†:
1) Move the Barry Building to the back of the property someplace, removing from San Vicente what Charlie obviously views as an eyesore. Fix up the building and incorporate it into some new, exciting, design.
2) Downscale things a bit to overcome traffic fears. Right now, there are 35,000 square feet of structures on the property; Charlie wants 73,000 square feet (down from the 105,000 he could build “by right†). Let’s split the baby and settle in at 54,000 sq. ft.
3) Create a true community gathering place, with as much open space in the middle as possible. Put all the parking underground, opening up more space. Add a little height to the buildings, if necessary.
4) Let’s define better what kind of retail will go into Green Hollow Square. I think a small, artsy theater would be nice. How about a “real†Mexican restaurant — and a nice fish place? Brentwood’s Persian community might like to see a restaurant catering to their tastes. Some arts and crafts stores, and of course a bookstore, would be most welcome.
Everyone would win under this scenario here: Charlie gets his retail center; Brentwood gets more open space; the Barry Building gets saved; some very inviting retail establishments and restaurants would make this a fun place for all to frequent.
These are just some ideas, they’re not the only ones. Clearly some new thinking is in order.
A really terrific idea was proposed last month by Nancy Freedman, chair of the BCC. She suggested the Barry Building be moved to Brentwood Science Magnet School, where it could be used as a library. The school principal was thrilled.
But soon enough, the school district was demanding $25 million from Charlie Munger as a condition of taking the building. While this might represent just a little “walking around money†to Charlie, it does seem like a rather excessive request. Then someone high up in the City Planning Commission reportedly said the building should remain exactly where it is for historical reasons. So a great idea died; the kids will now lose out; we’re back to square one again.
One thing to keep in mind was explained quite eloquently by Tom Kalette at the last BCC meeting. If some project doesn’t go through now, at some point a new developer will take over. That new developer will, “by right,†have the ability to build 105,000 square feet — 44% more than the 73,000 Charlie wants.
It’s possible the land will be broken up into smaller parcels that will get built out in an uncoordinated fashion. The end result could be pretty crummy — and add significantly to the local traffic burden.
Charlie’s project offers amenities many locals want, he’s not asking to max out the property and he’s willing to provide far more parking underground than is required, which will take many cars off the streets. There are many reasons to “strike while the iron is hot†and figure out a way to work this out.
Got some new thinking? Got a sketch of some nifty way to incorporate the Barry Building into a new design? Got some real solutions to the traffic issues?
Let’s all create a legacy here.
